Saturday, June 16, 2012

S'mores Cups

I've been dog-sitting for my parents' golden retriever, Briar, for the past week. It's much more like baby-sitting, as Briar is practically human (I'm sure most pet-owners can relate to this sentiment).

Last time my mother was out of town, I called/texted her so much about what Briar was doing that she started ignoring me (well, I'm sure that it is more likely that she was just busy...). To be fair, though, the last time he visited me, he did get his slightly overweight and arthritic self stuck in a concrete pond last time he visited, and he did eat a trash-can cheeseburger...

This week, I've just done a lot of self-contained obsessing over Briar...except for this blog post, during which I have publicly accidentally doted--probably a little too much--on him.

I suppose, however, that this post is still ultimately about these s'mores cups, too. They are, by the way, absolutely delicious and easy to make. These do not drastically differ from normal s'mores--they certainly contain the same marshmallow to chocolate to graham cracker ratio--but they are considerably easier to eat. The chocolate in these s'mores cups also gets so much more melty than in a traditional s'more, and, in my opinion, this is what ultimately makes them better than a traditional s'more.

This recipe makes two s'mores cups, but you will most likely find that you want to eat both. If not, store the second one in an airtight container and enjoy the next day (note: I haven't had the self-control to try this out).

Try them out, as they are definitely the perfect way to infuse a little fun summer spirit into the adult work week! : )

Ingredients2 full-sized graham crackers (you can use 4 of the Fresh Stacks graham crackers, which are better to buy if you are only one person as the graham crackers are in smaller packs than usual)1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar1 regular sized Hershey's milk chocolate bar (use dark chocolate if you prefer)1 large marshmallow

Instructions

Place graham crackers in a zip-lock bag, and crush until fine crumbs are formed.

Dump the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl, and add the melted butter and powdered sugar. Stir until combined.

Spray two ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray. Divide the graham cracker mixture between the two ramekins. Using your fingers, press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the ramekin so that it follows the cup shape. It won't perfectly follow; don't worry.

Bake the graham-cracker-filled the ramekins in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes.

After you pull the graham cracker cups out of the oven, press 3 Hershey rectangles into each cup (a quarter of a normal-sized Hershey's bar per cup). Cover with a large marshmallow.

Bake for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, or until the marshmallow is entirely melted.

While the cups are in their final stage of baking, break the remaining half of the Hershey's bar into pieces. Place in a small bowl, ramekin or custard cup, and microwave in thirty-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is entirely melted.

When the cups come out of the oven, drizzle the melted chocolate evenly over the top of each one. Serve warm or store in an airtight container.